Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

For Super Bowl Sunday, we were supposed to go to my parents' house.

Except it snowed.

A lot.

Well, a lot for us. 

So suddenly we were having our own Super Bowl party at home.

Thankfully I had some Taco Soup in the crockpot already. 

What I didn't have was a plan for dessert. 

My mom was going to make brownies.

And I love brownies.

But I decided we would try something new.

I hit Pinterest and was reunited with this recipe.

Seemed easy enough.

During halftime, I ran to the kitchen to whip these up.

A little while later, we were enjoying these chocolate chip cookie bars. Thoroughly.

Ingredients:
2 cups brown sugar
2/3 cup salted butter, softened
3 eggs whisked
2 1/2 cups flour (all-purpose works fine)
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2-2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream together the brown sugar and the softened butter.  Add in the whisked eggs.

In another bowl, mix the baking powder and salt with one cup of flour.

Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Mix.

Add in the remaining flour as well as the vanilla.

Fold in the chocolate chips.

Grease a 13 x 9 inch pan.  Spread batter in the pan, pressing down.

Bake for 25-35 minutes, until lightly browned.

Let them cool off for a few minutes.

Enjoy!

Happy cooking!
Reba

Turtle Cheesecake Bars

Not long ago we celebrated our 17th anniversary. 

I wanted to celebrate with a special dessert.

The one dessert we both love?

Turtle Cheesecake.

I remembered a recipe I had found on Pinterest for turtle cheesecake bars.

Perfect.

It was a little work. You have to plan ahead because the bars have to chill for a while.  And just looking at the ingredients can give me a headache; I like simple.

But there was no doubt that it was worth the effort.

Yum.

We will be having this again, though not too often.  If we did, I would weigh a TON!

Cheesecake crust:
3 cups finely chopped pecans
1 stick unsalted butter melted
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt

Cheesecake filling:
24 oz cream cheese, softened (yes, that is THREE boxes!)
1/4 cup full fat Greek yogurt OR sour cream (I used sour cream, full fat)
3/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla
3 large eggs
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Toppings:
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans, toasted
1 11 oz bag caramel candy, unwrapped (I actually used a caramel sauce...it worked fine)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
6 Tbsp milk, divided (unless you use the caramel sauce, then you only need 2)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Line a 13 x 9 inch pan with parchment paper, overlapping on the ends.

Use a fork to mix together the crust ingredients.  Press into the bottom of the 13 x 9 pan.

Bake for 20 minutes.

While the crust bakes, prepare the filling.

Cream together the cream cheese, yogurt/sour cream, sugar, and vanilla with a mixer.

Beat in eggs, one at a time.

After the crust finishes, sprinkle 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips over the crust.

Pour the filling over the crust and return to the oven.  Bake for 50 minutes.

Allow the cheesecake to cool off for an hour, then put it in the refrigerator overnight.

When ready to serve, remove the cheesecake from the refrigerator.  Lift the parchment paper off/out and place the cheesecake on a serving dish.

Toast pecans at 350 for 10 minutes.

If using unwrapped caramels, microwave the caramels and 4 Tbsp of milk at 30 minute intervals.  Stir until sauce is smooth.

Pour over the top of the cheesecake.

Microwave chocolate chips with 2 Tbsp milk.  Cook for 30 seconds, stirring in between.

Drizzle the chocolate over the top of the cheesecake bars.

Allow the chocolate to harden before serving.

Enjoy!

And don't think about the calories!

Chocolate Chip and Walnut Blondies

 The other day a recipe in the paper caught my eye.  It looked easy enough and looked yummy enough, I decided to give it a try. 

This is a miracle in itself because I often clip recipes then forget that I clipped them. 

Thankfully this one was fresh on my mind (and on my counter).

Today we went for a hike which meant I had a whole bunch of extra calories to enjoy. :)

So tonight after dinner, I threw these together and baked them.

Oh, yum.

Delicious.

Here is my version of the recipe. I followed it fairly closely though I adjusted the actual chocolate part.  The original recipe calls for 1 1/4 pounds of semisweet chocolate chunks. I used chocolate chips and only used about half that amount.  We agreed that any more than what I used would have been TOO much and too rich for us!

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, room temperature (the original recipe calls for unsalted, I just had salted)
1 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs, room temperature
1 egg white, room temperature (I just put three eggs out when I put the butter out)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts (I think I used only about 1 cup)
9-12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used about 9 oz which was plenty for me)

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease/flour a 9 x 12 inch baking pan.

In a mixing bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar with an electric mixer.  Mix on high for 3 minutes.  It should be fairly light and fluffy.

With the mixer on low, add vanilla.  Then add the eggs one at a time.  Add the egg white.  Mix well, scraping the bowl as needed.

In a separate bowl, sift together (or just stir in my case :) the flour, baking soda, and salt.

Add to the butter mixture with the mixer on low. 

Fold in the walnuts and chocolate chips.

Spread/spoon the batter into the pan.  Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean (no batter).  Don't overbake. 

Cool completely before slicing.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Chess Pie

Last night we had company over.  I wanted to have some sort of dessert but couldn't decide what to have.  I checked out this recipe from my Pinterest Sweet Treat board and decided to give it a try since it was simple and I had all ingredients on hand.

I know, it is always a risk trying a new recipe with company coming over. BUT I figured with chocolate, how could I go wrong?

And the answer is...? You can't.  Not with this.  It is easy and delicious. Almost sinful.

Ingredients:
Crust-
1 sleeve graham crackers crushed (the original recipe used chocolate graham crackers but one of my kiddos can't do that so I used regular)
1 stick butter.  Yes, a whole stick.
1 Tbsp sugar

Filling-
1 stick butter (yes, another stick)
1 oz unsweetened chocolate (or 3 Tbsp cocoa powder...I used the unsweetened chocolate square)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp kosher salt

Directions:
Pre-heat the oven to 350. 

Melt the butter. I just stuck it in the microwave.  Mix with the sugar and graham cracker crumbs until well combined.  Press into a 9 inch pie pan (I did spray mine first), forming the bottom/sides of the pie.

Bake for 8 minutes.

Let it cool for a bit then chill for an hour or more.

When ready, preheat the oven to 325.  Meanwhile, melt the butter and chocolate over low heat in a sauce pan on the stove.  Stir.  Remove from heat and add sugar, again stirring until well-combined.  Next add the eggs, vanilla, and salt.  Again stir.

Pour into the now chilled pie crust.

Bake for 40-50 minutes depending on how gooey you want it.

Let it cool for 20-30 minutes before serving.

You can serve it warm or at room temperature with whipped cream or ice cream.  However, I have to say that I have found that I like it best chilled from the fridge. Oh, yum.

Sinful.  Absolutely sinful.

And rich.

Oh, yum.

Enjoy!

Reba

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bars

 On occasion, I make "breakfast energy bites" which usually Child 4 and I eat ourselves.  But this week I saw this recipe (very similar but cooked and in "bar" form and gave it a try. 

Well, all I can say is that they were gone really fast.  And it was NOT just because of Child 4 and me.  The whole family (minus Dad who was gone) chowed down on them. I WILL be making them again, especially during the school year. They are quick, fairly healthy, and can be made ahead of time then just reheated (if preferred). 

Ingredients:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup peanut butter (I used creamy/natural)
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour (the original recipe used whole wheat, I just had all purpose on hand)
1 cup old fashioned oats (I am not sure how it would work with quick oats)
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup other add in (original recipe used raisins, I used flax meal)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray an 8 x 8 baking dish with cooking spray.

With a mixer, mix the peanut butter and brown sugar on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. The original recipe called for using the paddle attachment.  My mixer does not have that so I just used the regular beaters and they worked fine.

Mix in the vanilla.

Continue mixing on medium speed, adding in the flour, oats, baking soda, and salt.  It will be thick. Just be patient. :)

Slowly pour in the milk.  Mix until a dough forms.

Fold in the chocolate chips and the other add in.

Once all is combined, press into the baking dish. 

Bake for about 17-20 minutes until gold brown. 

Allow to cool completely before cutting. 

I stored them in the fridge, but I am guessing they would be fine on the counter.

Enjoy!

Smores Bars

I am not a big marshmallow fan.  I can do without Rice Krispie treats.  And Rocky Road ice cream is NOT my favorite.

But Smores.

Oh, how I love smores.

In fact, I have a whole Pinterest board dedicated to them.  "More Smores". 

The unfortunate thing is my hubby is not the smores fan I am.

So I don't try out the smores recipes nearly as much as I want.  Well, due to that and the fact that I would weigh a LOT more if I did.

But every now and then I figure out a way to do it.

Like when we are going to a cookout.

Perfect time.

So this past week, I decided to try Smores Bars.

They looked easy.  Required little preparation.  And they could be made ahead of time.

The only "warning" I feel like I should give is to let people know ahead of time that they are cold.

My kids all complained a little at first because they think "smores" and think "warm".

Yet it didn't stop one of them from eating the bars.

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted (plus a little more for greasing purposes)

1 cup graham cracker crumbs (I just threw a "sleeve" of crackers into the food processor and whirled away), plus 2 graham crackers broken into large pieces

3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk (not quite a whole can)

1 1/3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

pinch of salt

1 cup mini marshmallows

Directions:
Line an 8 x 8 baking pan with aluminum foil and butter/grease.  I did do this but I actually think next time I would just grease the baking pan itself with the butter or cooking spray.

Mix the melted butter and the graham cracker crumbs together in a bowl with a fork until moistened. 

Press firmly into the bottom of the baking dish.

This is the only area I had trouble. I pressed as much as I could but my crumbs just never stuck together. I don't know if I should have used more butter, pressed more, or what.  Don't get me wrong, it was still tasty.  I just couldn't get it to gel.  I think next time I make these, I will do something similar to what I do with the pretzels for pineapple fluff.  I think I will "bake it" at 400 degrees for 5-7 minutes...just enough to make it a bit crunchier/more together.  I will let you know how that goes. :)

Next, heat the chocolate chips and the condensed milk over medium heat, stirring constantly until smooth.  Once smooth, remove from the heat and add in the salt and vanilla.

Quickly, pour over the graham cracker and spread. You have to work quick or it will start to harden.  I found that if I held the spatula vertically and started in the middle to spread to the sides, it worked much easier. Otherwise the graham crackers try to go with the chocolate. :)

Next, pour the marshmallows over the top and push down into the chocolate.

Finish by pressing in the broken pieces of the 2 graham crackers in the "holes" left by marshmallows.

Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or so before cutting/serving.

Enjoy!

Hot Fudge Brownie Pie

I don't make dessert often though I have a BUNCH of them pinned on Pinterest.

It isn't that I don't like desserts.

It is actually the opposite.

I love them.

Too much.

So it is better if I don't make it often.

Because if I do, I eat them.  :)

However, once in a while, I splurge.

Like last night.

This is one I have pinned not once but twice. And possibly even three times.

It just looked oh so yummy.

So last night I got dinner in the oven then turned my attention to this recipe.

It is labeled as "hot fudge pie" but other than baking it in a pie dish, there is nothing really "pie" about it. 

We had great discussion about what it truly is.

And our answer?

A cross between a brownie and a molten chocolate lava cake.  

Except this was even easier the chocolate lava cake (which is pretty simple).

And what I love is that the portion size is that much easier to control.

With a hungry teenager in the house, I didn't have to worry about eating too much. :)

Ingredients:
4 oz unsalted butter
1 1/2 squares unsweetened chocolate (1.5 oz)
1 cup sugar (granulated)
2 eggs beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp milk
1/4 cup all purpose flour

Directions:
Pre-heat the oven to 350. 

Grease a pie pan (use butter or a cooking spray).

Melt butter and chocolate together.  I suppose you could do this stove top. I went the microwave route.  I put them together in a large measuring cup and headed for 30 seconds, stirred slightly, then heated 30 seconds more. The chocolate wasn't very melted at this point but the butter was. So I just took it out and stirred it for a few minutes.  Then it was a silky chocolate mess... :)

Let it cool while you stir the sugar into the beaten eggs.  Note: A hand mixer is not necessary. You just need a good spatula or spoon and a little elbow grease.  Stir until the sugar is fully incorporated into the eggs.

Once the chocolate mixture has cooled (and not before then or you will cook the eggs :), add it to the egg mixture.  Stir together.

Next add the vanilla  and milk.  Stir together.

Last, fold in the flour until no white is showing.

Do NOT overmix.

Pour the mixture into the pie pan and bake for 25 minutes.

Let it cool a few minutes.

I HIGHLY recommend eating this with ice cream on the side.

YUM.

Enjoy!

Reba

Chocolate Glazed Chocolate Doughnuts

I have been wanting to make some doughnuts for a while. The other day I checked out my "Breakfast Goodies" bulletin board on Pinterest and saw this recipe I had pinned. 

The best part was that the only "special" ingredient I don't always have on hand is the plain yogurt. But thankfully this time, I did.

So this morning I went to work.

This is a fairly quick recipe (which was a treat for the kids...not much waiting). It was easy.  And when I calculated the calories, it wasn't too bad.  I don't feel very guilty that I ate two.  Even though I wanted to eat like 12.

By the way, I have a doughnut pan, otherwise the circles wouldn't be so "circlish".  :)

Oh, I doubled the recipe and I did NOT use a mini doughnut pan...even with doubling the recipe, I got 15 doughnuts.  So next time I may have to triple if we want to have any left over. That being said, there is not really any reason to double the glaze. I did, and I ended up with WAY too much.

Doughnut ingredients: (recipe is doubled from original)
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
2/3 cups white granulated sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 Tbsp plain yogurt
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
6 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375.

Mix the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl.  I just used a whisk.

Add in the remaining ingredients (yogurt, milk, eggs, vegetable oil, and vanilla).

Stir until smooth.

Grease a doughnut pan.  I read on the original site that someone used a mini muffin pan instead...that is a great idea if you don't have a doughnut pan.

Fill the circles about 3/4 full. Mine was kind of thick so I just kind of "spooned" it in.

Bake for 7 minutes.  A good test is to press a doughnut. If the indention springs back immediately, it is ready.

Let them cool on a wire rack.  I probably didn't let them cool quite long enough before glazing but I had a hungry crew. :)

Glaze Ingredients: (not doubled)
2 Tbsp unsalted butter (I didn't have any on hand so I used salted which works okay)
3/4 tsp light corn syrup (I am not a big corn syrup person so I substituted with honey)
1 Tbsp milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used my favorite Ghirardelli)
1/2 cup powdered (confectioner's) sugar

Optional:  Sprinkles for decoration (I did half with, half without.  My kids loved the sprinkles touch but I have to use some pricey all natural ones :)

Directions:
Over low heat, add the butter, corn syrup or honey, milk, and vanilla extract to a small sauce pan.  Stir constantly until butter melts. Once melted, add in the semi-sweet chocolate chips.  Again, stir until melted.  Then add in the powdered sugar.  Stir until smooth.

Glaze doughnuts.  I just held the doughnuts and dipped them halfway into the glaze.

Add sprinkles immediately if desired.

Enjoy!

I have tried a few doughnut recipes and this has been one of my favorites. It is a cake like doughnut...yum!

Reba

Chocolate Caramel Graham Crackers

The other day, a co-worker at school was having a milestone birthday.  We were asked to bring snack foods.  If you know me at all, I don't typically just drop by the grocery store.  I try to go once a week.  That is it.

And this past week was particularly busy.  And exhausting.

What to do, what to do...

I remembered reading a recipe I found via Pinterest using graham crackers. I have lots of graham crackers. That sounded promising.  But when I looked at it, I was short an ingredient or two.

I considered making the brownie bites with peanut butter frosting.  But, alas, there was no cream cheese in the house (how did I let that happen?).

So I did a Google search and found just what I needed.

Chocolate caramel graham crackers.  

Quick, easy, and I had all of the ingredients needed.

I don't know that I totally agree with the title. It had more of a toffee taste to me than a caramel.  But otherwise, it was right on...and delicious too!

Ingredients:
12 (or so) graham crackers (the sheets)

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter (3/4 cup)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/8 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup chopped nuts (I used pecans but almonds, walnuts, and probably even peanuts would be good)

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 375.

Line a cookie sheet (15 x 10) with aluminum foil.

Line the bottom of the cookie sheet with graham crackers, breaking apart when needed.

In a small sauce pan, melt the butter.  Add the brown sugar.  Stir constantly (for about 5 months) until it thickens.

Add in the salt.

Pour over the graham crackers, spreading evenly.  Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes until mixture is bubbling.

Remove from the oven and evenly pour chocolate chips over the top.

Return to oven for 2-3 minutes (until chocolate chips are VERY soft).

Remove from oven and use a spatula or a frosting spreader to spread the melted/soft chocolate over the top of the brown sugar mixture.

Press chopped nuts into the top.

Let cool.  (I put it in the fridge overnight to help it set).

Remove foil from the back of the crackers and break into pieces.

Then enjoy!

Reba

Brownie Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

I needed a dessert for a teacher meal at Child 1's school.

I needed something easy to transport.

Something I could make ahead of time.

Something I could get several servings from.

And something chocolatey of course.

Because what kind of dessert isn't chocolatey? :)

I had pinned a recipe for brownie cupcakes on Pinterest.  And it looked yummy.

However, the frosting looked a bit too much for me.

I brainstormed other toppings (and by brainstorming I mean "Googled" :).

Then I happened upon this recipe.

Just what I was looking for.

I had to adjust a little (due to differences in measurements).  Once again, I was thankful for Google to help me convert grams to ounces.  And Celsius to Fahrenheit.

I don't know that I got it perfect.

But I do know that what came out of the oven and went into my mouth was oh so yummy.

I taste tested one of the "brownie cupcakes".

Then later I taste tested it with the peanut butter frosting.

Both delish.

Even the hubby who doesn't typically do a lot of chocolate with peanut butter raved about it.

Unfortunately for us, since these were for teachers, we only got one.  (And each kid got one)

I think I will be making these again soon.  For us.

Ingredients (Brownie Cupcakes):
1/3 cup butter (I used unsalted)

1 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

3 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped (if you use the squares, that would be three squares. And I totally forgot to chop it :)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup cane sugar (granulated)

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp salt

Directions (Brownie Cupcakes):
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Line a regular (around 10) or mini (around 30 ) muffin tin with liners.  I did the mini. I honestly don't know if I could have eaten a regular size one even as good as they are. That would be REALLY rich!

Sift flour.  Set aside.  Okay, totally forgot to do that part. But it was fine.

Melt butter, semi-sweet chocolate chips, and unsweetened chocolate in a double broiler. Or if you are like me, put it in a microwavable bowl/measuring cup.  Put it in the microwave for a minute.  Take out and stir.  Return for another 30 seconds, then stir again.  Continue until the chocolate and butter are melted.  That was about 1 minute 30 seconds in all.  Note:  The original recipe called for only melting 1/2 cup of the semi-sweet chocolate chips.  Oops. I totally missed that and melted all of them. :)

Transfer butter mixture to a large mixing bowl.

Add in the brown and cane sugars.

Whisk/stir one egg at a time into the mixture.

Add in flour, vanilla, and salt.  If you didn't add all of the semi-sweet chips (like I already did), add the rest now.

Mix.  Divide into the muffin liners, filling about 3/4 full.  I used a "cookie" scoop for this part.

Bake for around 30 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the cupcake comes out clean.

As the cupcakes cool, prepare the peanut butter frosting.

Ingredients (Frosting):
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

8 oz cream cheese (room temperature)

1/2 cup butter (room temperature).  Again, I used unsalted.

1 cup creamy peanut butter

chopped peanuts (optional)

Directions:  
Mix all of the ingredients OTHER THAN the chopped salted peanuts with a mixer.

Spread or pipe onto the brownies once they have cooled off.

Top with chopped peanuts if desired.

We stored ours in the fridge.

Well, the ones we didn't eat anyway. :)

Reba

PS:  I ended up with leftover frosting, so I have been putting a little bit on graham crackers topped with a few chocolate chips.  Not quite the same as the brownie cupcake, but it works for me.  :)

Homemade Chocolate Brownies

I was in the kitchen most of the day.

 I made pancakes and bacon for breakfast (which is rare around here...we eat those for dinner more than for breakfast). The good news is I made a couple extra batches to freeze.

For lunch, I cooked hot dogs and threw together some watermelon slushes for the kids.

Next I got started on dinner: crockpot roast beef, roasted potatoes, homemade yeast rolls, and green beans.

Then I started thinking, "A dessert would be nice..."

 I really don't make them very often.

 Well, just about that time, a friend of mine sent me an e-mail with a brownie recipe that she had made that I had loved.

 Perfect.

 I looked at the ingredients. I had them all!

Perfect again.

 And they didn't take too terribly long to make.

Perfect again.

So brownies it was!

 Since I started cooking differently (more from scratch) for my food-sensitive kid, I have tried a couple of brownie recipes. None came close to what we wanted in a brownie. Until this one. This one worked.

 Oh, here is the link to the original recipe.

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, melted (I use unsalted for baking)

2 cups granulated sugar

2 tsp vanilla

4 eggs

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

1 cup all-purpose flour (I actually used 1/2 cup whole wheat flour and 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose)

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup chopped nuts (optional)  I used pecans

You can also add semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips or caramel bits.  I added the semi-sweet, just a handful.

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350.

Grease a 9 x 13 dish.

Stir the sugar and vanilla into the melted butter.

Beat in eggs, one at a time.

Add the cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.

Add flour, beating until mixed.

Add in nuts, caramel bits, and/or chocolate chips.  (I added both pecan pieces and semi-sweet chocolate chips)

Pour the batter into the greased pan.

Bake for 30-35 minutes (until a toothpick comes out "clean").

Cool and then enjoy!

We ate ours with a little side of ice cream. 

YUM. :)

Reba

Turtle Cheesecake Ball

Today we had Souper Bowl Thursday at school.  The teachers, that is. 

We had a sign up earlier this week for soups, salads, chips and dips, and desserts.

I signed up for dessert.

Then I did a quick search on my Pinterest Sweet Treats board to see what I wanted to make.

I wanted something easy that I could make ahead.  Something with chocolate (of course). 

And then I found it.

Turtle Cheesecake Ball.

I have made something similar but the word "Turtle" really got my heart racing.

I LOVE turtle desserts.  (As in the combination of caramels, nuts, and chocolate, not the animal)

So I did a quick grocery run (and totally did NOT count that for my January challenge since my family didn't get to enjoy any of it).

A few minutes of my time, and I had a turtle cheesecake ball chilling in the fridge. 

Then today, I took it to school, added some sliced apples and some chocolate graham crackers, and a few hours later, I had nothing but a plate full of crumbs.

It was good stuff.

(I won't say how much of the eating of it was done by me, but I did have others tell me it was good too...)

Ingredients:
 cream cheese (8 oz), softened
1/4 cup butter, at room temperature (I used unsalted)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1/2 package dry vanilla pudding mix
1/2 cup caramel (ice cream topping)

Directions:
Cream the butter and cream cheese together with a mixer.

Add the caramel and mix together.

Add the brown sugar and powdered sugar.  Cream together.

Add the vanilla and pudding mix.

Fold in chocolate chips and pecans.

Pat into a ball and refrigerate for at least an hour.  (I used plastic wrap sprayed with non-stick spray to help form the ball, then wrapped the ball up for the fridge.)  By the way, I refrigerated it overnight.

One neat suggestion that the original website had was to drizzle caramel over the top.  And I think adding a few chopped pecans and chocolate chips on top would be nice too.

But I totally forgot to take any of that.

So mine was just plain and not very pretty.

But tasty.

It was very tasty.

I enjoyed each and every bite.

I want to make it again.  And I probably will.  But not until I exercise all of these calories off. :)

Happy cooking!

Reba

Apple Snickers "Salad"

Another picture that does not do a food justice.

My cousin P. told me about this recipe once upon a time.

Then I kept seeing it pop up on Pinterest.

Apples.  Snickers. Caramel.  Yum.

And fairly easy.

My family loved it.  Well, except for the child who won't eat apples. And the hubby who doesn't believe in mixing apples and Snickers.

The rest of us enjoyed it.

And I am sure it is somewhat healthy since it has apples.  Right???

Ingredients:
3-4 apples (Granny Smith, Red Delicious, a combo...it is your choice.  3 was plenty for me)

1 5 oz. instant vanilla pudding

1/2 cup milk

Snickers (minis or regular size)

1 container Cool Whip

Caramel ice cream topping

Directions:
Chop apples into bit size pieces. I found it easier to use my apple slicer/corer first then chop from there.

Chop the Snickers.  I used the minis but it took a while to unwrap them. I think next time I would use about 3 regular size Snickers.  Hint:  Freeze the Snickers for a while.  Then put them in a ziplock and break with a mallet.  MUCH easier to break when frozen.

Mix together milk, pudding, and Cool Whip in a large bowl.  Add in apples and Snickers.  Top with caramel.

Chill for at least an hour before serving.

Enjoy!

Reba

Oreo Cupcakes

My daughter has a sweet tooth.  (The older one)  She LOVES sweets. Always has. One of my favorite pictures of her is from her toddler days. She is standing at the kitchen counter on a stool, her mouth covered in chocolate (from Hershey's kisses I think).

Just in the past year she has become a little baker.  Well, not so little anymore. She is 11. But she is always my little girl no matter how old she is. :)

At first it started with the Easy Bake Oven.  Then she moved on to cake mixes or brownie mixes. Now she is venturing out and trying out recipes.

Recently this daughter read a book from a series called The Cupcake Diaries.  She found a basic cupcake recipe and has created a couple of cupcakes using it.

This past weekend, I decided to take a nap. I had picked up a package of Oreos for her at her request. When I got up from my nap a couple hours later, I found the plates above.  Oreo cupcakes.

I posted a pic on FB and had requests for the recipe.

I am going to share the basic recipe with a couple additions.  However, since I haven't been with my daughter when she makes it, I cannot guarantee it is precisely what she does. I think she is a "try a little of this" kind of cook.  She has mentioned that sometimes she will add more sugar or vanilla than the recipe calls for.  So who knows what her final recipe actually includes.

Either way, it is good stuff!  Especially if you like Oreos. :)

Ingredients:
Cupcake batter

1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs at room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup whole milk (except we NEVER have whole milk so she has to use what we have...1%)
Crushed Oreos (I have no exact measurements. I know she didn't use a whole package because we have a few left. And she saved a few for the frosting.  So maybe half a package?

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 with the rack in the middle of the oven.

Line muffin tin with cupcake liners (12 cupcakes).

Beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until fluffy with electric mixer.

Add eggs one at a time.

Blend in the vanilla.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Add the flour mixture to the mixing bowl, beating at a low speed. Alternate with the milk.  Beat until the batter has no lumps.

Add in the crushed Oreos.  Beat until thoroughly mixed.

Evenly fill the muffin tins.  Bake for about 18-20 minutes.  Use a toothpick to check if they are done or not (if it comes out clean other than the Oreos :)

Remove from oven when done.  Place on a wire rack to cool.

Ingredients for Frosting:
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar (it is supposed to be sifted but I don't think she knows how to do that so I am guessing hers wasn't :)
1/3 cup whole milk (again, she used 1%)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract (she said she sometimes adds more vanilla and powdered sugar :)
crushed Oreos (just a few)

Directions:
Mix the butter until it looks fluffy (using an electric mixer).

Add in the sugar, alternating with the milk and vanilla until is it blended.

Add in the Oreos.  (Dear Daughter also said she might just sprinkle them on top next time because it is HARD to spread with the Oreos IN the frosting).

Frost.

Daughter just used a knife and a decorator pump to do this, though she really wants to practice piping.

A little mini Oreo on top in the middle would be really cute.

It is good stuff.

Enjoy!

Reba

Smores Dip

Monday was the first day of school.

I don't get to do a lot of the fun "first day of school" traditions a lot of families do, mainly because it is MY first day of school too. And I am plumb exhausted all day long.

But I wanted to do something special.

So I checked out Pinterest and found a recipe for Smores Dip.  Hubby doesn't care for Smores (how is that possible???) but the kids and I love them. And this was a very quick (less than 5 minutes) recipe.  How could I go wrong?

It didn't disappoint. It is taking all of the willpower I have to not go finish off the leftovers (it made a lot).  And it is actually easier to eat than real Smores are.

Ingredients:
1 can condensed sweetened milk (14 oz)
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (I used dark chocolate...my family couldn't tell a difference)
1/2 cup marshmallow fluff
graham crackers for dipping

Directions:
Place sweetened milk and chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl.  Microwave 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally until chocolate chips are melted. (I think mine took 1 minute)

Pour/spread chocolate mixture into a 9 inch glass pie plate.

 Drop marshmallow creme/fluff by the spoonful into the chocolate mixture.

Microwave 30 seconds.

Use a knife/spoon to spread marshmallow throughout the mixture, giving it a marbled look.

Serve with graham crackers.

Enjoy.

(We refrigerated the leftovers and just heat it up when ready to eat, though I may or may not have eaten a spoon full cold. :)

Reba

Chocolate Chip Sensation

 I needed a dessert to make for a church event. I wanted something I could make ahead of time. Instead of heading over to Pinterest this time, though, I headed to my kitchen cabinet and pulled out our family cookbook.  I browsed desserts and settled on this one...

 Chocolate chip sensation.

Chocolate chips, cream cheese, chocolate pudding.

How could I go wrong?

This dessert is very similar to Brownie Delight and Oreo Layer Dessert. 

But if I am completely honest, this one is my favorite of the three.

Oh, I like the others.

But chocolate chip cookies...yum.

That would be a weakness of mine.

Oh, this recipe is courtesy of my cousin Doug and his wife Tammy from Michigan. 

Ingredients:
1 package refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese (This time I used whipped rather than a "block")

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1 container Cool Whip

1 pint half and half

1 package instant chocolate pudding

mini chocolate chips or chopped nuts

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375. 

Flatten cookie dough (this takes a little armwork) onto a 15 inch pizza pan. Since I was transporting mine, I put it into a 9 x 13 glass dish that had been prayed instead. I needed a deeper dish than a pizza pan. Run knife or spatula under crust.

Bake for 12-15 minutes at 375.

Let the cookie cool for 10 minutes.

In a bowl, combine the cream cheese and the powdered sugar.  Set aside.

Combine the half and half and pudding.  Whisk together then set aside to set.

Spread cream cheese mixture over the cookie crust.

Spread the pudding mixture on top of the cream cheese.

Top with Cool Whip.

Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips or chopped nuts.

Enjoy!

Brownie Delight

 I was making lunch for a church event this week.

 I needed a dessert.

If you know me at all...desserts should almost always involve chocolate.

So I checked out my Pinterest board ("Sweet Treats") and remembered this recipe.

Just what I wanted. I mean, just what I hoped to make.

It takes a little time (mainly due to cooking the brownies) but otherwise is fairly easy.

And yummy.

Perfect for a summer day.

I followed most of the recipe. My main changes involved using lighter ingredients when possible.  And I used one family size brownie mix rather than two boxes as the original recipe suggested. Otherwise, I followed it to a T. :)

Ingredients:
1 family size brownie mix for a 13 x 9 pan (I used dark chocolate because I like dark chocolate)

Oil, water, and eggs for brownie mix (follow directions on the package)

8 oz. package cream cheese, softened (I think I used light but I am not positive...I usually do)

1 cup powdered sugar

2 containers whipped topping (I did use light)

3 oz. package instant chocolate pudding

3 oz. package instant vanilla pudding

3 1/2 cup milk (we only have 1% milk here, it works)

Hershey bar or chocolate syrup (I used a Hershey bar)

Directions:
 Mix and bake brownie mix according to package directions in a 13 x 9 greased pan/dish.

Let the brownies cool.

Mix together softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and 1 container of whipped topping.  Spread over the cooled brownies.

Mix together both pudding mixes with milk.  Give it a few minutes to thicken.  Layer on top of cream cheese mixture.

Spread the second container of Cool Whip on top.

Top with grated or curled Hershey's bar or the syrup.

Refrigerate until ready to eat.

Enjoy.  Each and every bite.

Yum.

Reba

Double Fudge Brownies

I wonder if they have classes in how to photograph food?  People I can somewhat photograph with success.  Food, not so much.

Anyway, there won't be a weekly menu because I am visiting my sister in Kansas with the girls who are attending camp here.  So I am off cooking duty for much of the week.  And who knows what I will make when I get home. :)

I did stick to last week's schedule for the most part. We did have one impromptu sushi night (a date at home) so I never made the roast. But otherwise I stuck to it.

Saturday night we had grilled steak (marinade recipe coming soon). The kids have been begging for a dessert. I had one in mind but when I went to make it, we were missing some key ingredients. Bummer.

So I pulled out my handy dandy cookbook.  It is a family recipe cookbook.

And I searched for a dessert that I did have a recipe for.

I came upon a recipe from my Aunt S. from Indiana.

Double Fudge Brownies.

That sounded good.

And even better, I had all of the ingredients!

And they were good.

Too good.

It is a good thing I left town the next day because the leftovers would have been a HUGE temptation for me.  I am sure my boys will polish them off while I am gone.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup margarine (I used unsalted butter)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup water
1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips (12 oz...I would love to try these with dark chocolate chips too)
2 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
1 cup nuts (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Sift flour, baking soda, and salt together.  Set aside.

In a small saucepan or a 4 cup measuring cup, combine margarine/butter, sugar, and water.  Bring just to a boil.  (I did mine in the microwave because my pots were all dirty from our dinner)

Add chocolate chips and vanilla.

Stir well until chocolate melts, and the mixture is smooth.

Transfer to a large bowl.  Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.  (I just used my mixer)

Gradually blend in flour mixture.

Add in nuts if desired...I didn't at this point. My crew is about half and half on who likes nuts. So I waited until I had put the mixture in the baking dish.  Then I sprinkled nuts on half of the mixture, so we had some with and some without.

Spread into a greased 13 x 9 inch baking pan.

Bake for 50 minutes.

Cool.

I served them with vanilla ice cream on the side.

Yum.

A nice sweet way to end our day!

Reba

Grilled Smores

We are on vacation this week (if you wondered about the lack of posts...that would be due to lack of cooking :).  We typically eat breakfast at our rental (in this case, a beach house) and then eat a light lunch or dinner there also.  We then go out to eat for the other meal.

Tonight we had some friends come over (also vacationing here) for dinner.  We grilled burgers and hot dogs and tried to use up some of our extra foods from the week since it is the last night.

But I wanted some sort of dessert.

I was in the mood for smores or something chocolatey.  It is really hard to cook in someone else's kitchen though.  So I needed simple.

I went to my first choice (always).  Pinterest.

Nope.

Good food but nothing as simple as I wanted.

It just so happens I was reading a magazine at that time that had a recipe for Grilled Smores.

And it was simple.

We just needed to pick up a few basic ingredients.

I will say that they taste nothing like smores (or I didn't think so).  But that didn't stop me from eating one.  And wanting to eat more.

Ingredients:
frozen pound cake (I used the Sara Lee family size...actually 2 since we had so many people), thawed and cut into slices

a bag of mini marshmallows

a bag of mini chocolate chips (though really the little Hershey's bars would work too)

Directions:

Place some mini marshmallows and chocolate chips on the sliced pound cake.  Top with another slice. 

Grill, flipping after the chocolate and marshmallows start to melt and the pound cake gets "toasty".

Enjoy.

Like I said, simple.  And not a pure smores by any mean.

But a sweet treat just the same.

Reba

Oreo Layer Dessert

The other day my hubby had a birthday. I won't say which one but I will say that it was a milestone one. :)

His very favorite dessert is chocolate pound cake, with chocolate pie as a close second.

But we were heading about an hour away to visit some friends at the lake.

I wasn't so sure that either of those would hold up well on the very curvy drive.

So I decided to try something new.

Like an Oreo Layer Dessert.

Yes, I found the link on Facebook.

If you go to the original site (see link above), then you will see a much prettier picture.

Anywho...

Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:
One package of Oreos, crushed (either via a food processor which I don't have or a good old ziplock and a rolling pin and lots of arm exercise)

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 large package of chocolate pudding (instant), made up according to directions on the package

2 containers of Cool Whip (I used light...every little bit helps, right?)

1 box cream cheese (I used light. I think next time I would use the whipped...)

1 cup powdered sugar

Directions:
Remove 1/2 cup Oreo crumbs to reserve for the top of the dessert.

Pour all of the other Oreo crumbs into the bottom of a 13x9 pan.  I didn't spray first, but I think in the future I would.

Pour melted butter over the Oreo crumbs.  Press down to form a "crust".  I used an inverted ziplock bag with my hand inside to keep the crumbs from sticking to my fingers.

Blend cream cheese until nice and smooth (which is where I think the whipped would come in handy).  Add in powdered sugar.  Mix.  Then fold in ONE container of cool whip.

Place cream cheese mixture on top of Oreo crust.  Spread.

Spread on the chocolate pudding as the next layer.

Top with the second container of Cool Whip.

Sprinkle reserved Oreo crumbs on top.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

It was good stuff.

Reba